Holder for shoulder straps of lingerie



@et 9, 1956 F. A. KING HOLDER FOR SHOULDER STRAPS OF' LINGERIE Filed Sept. ll, 1953 Unite States Patent HOLDER FOR SHOULDER STRAPS F LINGERIE Francis A. King, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 11, 1953, Serial No. 379,544

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-2) This invention relates to a device for engaging and holding the shoulder straps of lingerie, brassieres, dress shields and nether garments generally while being worn to retain such straps in place on the shoulders of the wearer.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a shoulder strap holder which is capable of being supported on and frictionally engaged with the surface of the skin of the wearer on or adjacent to the shoulders without connection to the wearers garments other than through the shoulder straps, thereby obviating the use of fastenings to secure the holder in place.

Another object is to provide a shoulder strap holder which is so formed that shoulder straps may be readily engaged therewith and removed therefrom laterally of the straps whereby the device may be .applied to shoulder straps both ends of which are attached to a garment.

Another object is to provide a shoulder strap holder of the above character which is constructed solely of pliable resilient material such as a composition of rubber or synthetic rubber, or similar material, thereby obviating the use of metal in the device.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder as seen from the top and one side thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation showing the manner of bending the holder to open a strap receiving slot therein in effecting insertion and removal of the shoulder straps;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross section showing a modified form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the mode of applying the holder to a shoulder strap.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally the shoulder strap holder which embodies a base portion 8 for seating on -or near the wearers shoulder in contact with the skin in frict'ional engagement therewith, and also embodies a shoulder strap engaging element 9 carried on and aflixed to the base portion 8 for engaging and holding shoulder straps B.

The base portion 8 is of general disk-like form and has a tapered margin, while the shoulder strap engaging element 9 is of general rectangular outline and is arranged on the base portion 8 with its margins spaced inwardly from the margin of the base portion.

ICC

synthetic rubber, or formed of foamed plastic material or the like. The pad a is characterized by possessing a porous pliable resilient sheet like body which is normally fiat and has a foraminate under surface b which frictionally engages any surface on which the pad is imposed and whereby sliding movement of the pad over the skin of a person on which the pad is seated is resisted and generally prevented.

The shoulder strap engaging element 9 is formed of rubber or rubber-like material and comprises a flat substantially square horizontally extending tube which is formed with a transversely elongated open ended strap receiving slot c of transversely elongated rectangular cross section; the tube embodying a bottom wall d, side walls e-e and a top wall f which walls define the slot c. The top wall f is formed with a normally closed longitudinal slit g leading to the slot c intermediate the side walls e-e, which slit divides the top wall into side sections which are normally aligned relative to each other with their adjacent margins abutting.

The top wall f and the side walls e-e are characterized by being formed of such substantial thickness as to be suiciently stifl` or rigid as to offer considerable resistance to flexing thereof, thus normally resisting spreading apart of the side sections -of the top wall f and consequently opposing opening of the slit g, and whereby the tube is rendered quite rigid and unyielding longitudinally. The bottom wall d however is transversely flexible and resilient.

The bottom wall d is seated on the upper surface of the pad a and is securely adhered thereto .and by reason of the wall d being transversely flexible and the pad a being pliable the wall d is capable of being bent downwardly transversely thereof together with the pad a as indicated in Fig. 4 whereby the sections of the top wall f on opposite sides of the slit g together with the side walls e-e will be tilted bodily upward and outward by reason of the rigidity or stiffness of the side walls e--e so as to open the slit g andperrnit the sideways passage therethrough of a ribbon or strap B. The pad a and bottom wall d of the tube being resilient, the holder will assume its normal position on release thereof.

The base 8 is preferably formed to have end portions h--h which protrude a short distance from the ends of the tube 9 through which the slot c extends; the terminals of the end portions h-h each being formed with an arcuate notch k lianked by lobes l for engaging the side margins of a strap leading from the ends of the tube 9 to maintain the strap B in alignment with the tube when the holder is applied and in use.

Engagement of the strap B by the lobes l is facilitated by reason of the portion of the strap extending through the tube 9 being elevated relative to the surface of the body on which the holder is seated so that the portions of the strap leading from the holder onto the body surface will extend at a downward inclination from the ends of the tube 9 and thus pass through the notches k between the lobes l. Y

In the form of the holder shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the holder comprises a strap engaging tube 10 formed integral with a circular base 11 which latter has a concave underside m with a coplanar thin rim n adapted to seat on the surface of the body of the wearer in frictional engagement with such surface. If desired the concave underside m of the base 11 may be fitted with a spongy pad o as shown in Fig. 7 to thereby increase frictional contact with the surface of the body. In the form of the device under consideration the tube 10 has a bottom wall p, side walls q-q and a top wall r surrounding an open ended strap receiving slot s with the top wall r formed with a longitudinal slit t.

The ends u-zz of the tube 19 through which the slot s opens are straight and parallel. Opposed arcuate portions v-v of the base 11 protrude beyond the tube ends u-u on which lengths of a strap extending through the tube 10 lie when the holder is in use. As a means for aligning the strap with the slot s of the tube a pair of spaced upwardly projecting lobes w-w are formed on the portions v-v of the base 11.

As a means for preventing slippage of the holder relative to the strap or straps engaged thereby, the top and bottom walls f-r and d-p of the slot c or s are spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of a strap B so as to effect frictional engagement with a strap positioned in the slot; the inner surface of the slots being rough and the walls of the slot being resilient and resistant to spreading so as to afford a gripping action on the strap sufficient to hold the fastener in place on the strap.

In the operation of the invention the holder A and a strap or straps B are initially interengagcd by opening the slit g or t to permit the passage of a strap laterally therethrough as indicated in Figs. 4 and 8; this opening ot the slit being preferably accomplished by bending the holder inwardly at the sides of the tube 9-10 whereby the portions of the top wall of the tube at opposite sides of the slit will spread apart. In the same manner the slit may be opened to remove the straps although an upward pull ou the straps will lift the top wall portions of the tube and permit withdrawal of the strap or straps from the tube.

The holder A is then positioned with its underside seated on the body of the wearer at a point on a shoulder or adjacent thereto with the shoulder strap or straps B leading from the ends of the tube 9-10 between the lobes l-l or v-v. The character of the underside of the holder being such as to eiect frictional engagement with the skin, it will ordinarily remain in position where placed thereon. However, the gripping engagement afforded between the holder and the straps will further insure against displacement of the holder.

I claim:

In a holder for the straps of lingerie and the like, a pliable disk-like pad having a tapered margin, a substantially ilat open ended tube of substantially square outline having a transversely flexible bottom wall adhered to the upper side of said pad, said tube having side and end margins spaced inwardly from the tapered margin of said pad, said tube having rigid unyielding side walls extending along the side margins of said vbottom wall and having a t rigid unyielding top wall integral with said side walls; said top wall having a longitudinal slit intermediate said side walls dividing said top wall into normally aligned side sections which normally abut each other on opposite sides of said slit; said pad and bottom wall being bendable transversely intermediate said side walls to collectively swing the side sections of said top Wall bodily. upwardly and outwardly relative to each other to thereby open said slit.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,255 Engel May l, 1951 2,643,380 Blair June 30, 1953 2,714,979 McCarthy Aug. 9, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,661 Great Britain of 1941 

